Mad Girl's Love Song
by Sahara Storm
Summary: [In Progress, Multiple Pairings] I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. I lift my lids and all is born again. [A series of Sakura centric fics]
1. Passivity

**Mad Girl's Love Song**

Okay. This is a series of fics, centred _mostly_ on Sakura. Pairing-wise, you can expect SasuSaku, NaruSasuSaku, maybe some NaruSasu and LeeSaku, and even less likely, some NaruSaku. The idea spawned from Sylvia Plath's awesome poem, _Mad Girl's Love Song_, thus the title. There are about fifteen chapters, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE RELATED IN ANY WAY. For instance, in one drabble, SasuSaku could be the established relationship, in another, it could be NaruSasu, in another, Sasuke could be dead.

I started this series a long time ago, before I started back reading the manga, so there won't be any spoilers or anything. Most stories won't even be in sync with the timeline, or with canon. Right now, I have up to #10 written, and the others are coming along pretty well, so I shouldn't have any problems with updating (unlike certain _other_ fics, cough hack cough, which shall not be mentioned).

If anyone has a bunny for a fic that involves Sakura in any way, and they'd like to see it written, feel free to give it to me. :) I have an idea for #14 and 15, but I still need plots for #11, 12 and 13. I can't guarantee that your request _will_ be chosen, but it'd still be a great help to me. Thanks!

I'll try to update every week, okay:-)

Now, on with the story!

* * *

**#1:** Passivity

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura

**Rating: **Light R.

**Word Count: **253

**Summary/Description:** She takes what she can get, and feels no shame.

**Warning/Spoilers:** Citrus and angst. Rawr, baby. No spoilers.

**A/N: **Because Sasuke has _that_ many issues, and those who love him are going to have to find _some _way to get around it until he finds peace with himself.

**One Disclaimer To Rule Them All: **I own the first 200 (or so) episodes of _Naruto_, a crapload of pics, some clips, the movie trailer and the movie. I however, sadly, do not own _Naruto_.

* * *

She feels no shame. This is not what she wanted, but it is what she can have, and Sakura has learned to settle for what life deems is her lot. She allows it.

She allows him entrance into her home whenever he wishes; allows him to scale the walls, leap unto her balcony, push past her curtains, and into her room. She allows him to slip beneath her sheets, and spoon his body into hers without so much as a word of greeting. She allows him to dust kisses all over her body, serenade her with soft sighs and low groans.

She does not protest when he removes her clothes with a calloused hand, a warmth and a tenderness in his actions that he does not allow to be manifested in his eyes. She allows him to kiss her lips and knead her flesh, if only for the reward of tearing gasps from his throat when she does the same. The fingers that graze the pikes of her breasts and the hands that steady her hips are a benison; she makes herself believe this. She allows him to take his pleasure, softly and slowly, while she grapples for hers.

And she feels no shame. For Haruno Sakura has long resigned herself to the fact that this is what he is willing to give, so this is all that she can take.

And when Uchiha Sasuke leaves, she does not allow herself to clutch his arm, hold him back, and beg him to stay.

* * *

**A/N: AUGH. **The _angst_.Go ahead. Shoot me before I'm forced to do it myself. :/ 


	2. This Time Around

**#2:** This Time Around

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura; kinda sorta implied Naruto/Sasuke/Sakura

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count: **448

**Summary/Description: **Everything is different, this time around.

**Warning/Spoilers:** None, except for some teeny, tiny spoilers for episodes in the 50's, 60's, thereabouts.

**A/N: **Sorta like, the antithesis to _Teardrops_ (though it is **NOT** a sequel, or a side-fic). This Sakura is older, and has lots more spunk, and fight in her.

* * *

"Sakura, don't be stupid," Sasuke said flatly, not even turning around to look at her. He slid on his right armguard, and secured it tightly. 

The kunoichi seethed quietly, piqued that he wouldn't face her. She stalked across the room, eased herself between the Uchiha and the table before which he was standing, stood on tiptoes until they were nose to nose, and squared her emerald eyes to his black ones.

"I'm coming with you," she repeated firmly, resolution teeming in her eyes.

Sasuke glared down at her fiercely, as if trying to cow her into changing her mind. She met the glower head on, hands clenched at her sides, unflinching and still.

He grunted angrily, and pushed himself away from her, running a hand through his hair in an agitated gesture. The looked he fixed her with was sharp and dark, and yet rent with something deeper and smoother that made the matte eyes glister.

"It's dangerous," he ground out harshly, enunciating each syllable like a death knell, ominous and clear. "You could…"

"_Die_," she finished for him abruptly, walking over. She held his left armguard in her hand; he allowed her to snare him by the wrist and fasten it on. "I know that." Her hands went to rest on his waist, then wrapped tightly around the circumference of him when he showed no signs of stopping her. "But I won't let you do this alone." Her voice was vehement, laced with iron. "He wouldn't let you, and neither will I." She pressed her lips into his chest, so that her next words were soft and muffled. It was no matter; he felt it vibrate on his skin, thrum throughout his veins.

"I _won't_ let you leave like you did last time."

It was a long while that the two shinobi stood in the quiet of the room, locked together by two pale arms and an indomitable will. Sasuke felt himself begin to give in, and cursed them both softly, wondering when they would lose that knack to make him crumble.

When he finally moved, it was to gently release himself of her tenure, and turn softly on the balls of his feet. She watched him as he silently collected his mask and his arsenal, and walked to the door.

"Come on," he said in a low voice when he breached the entrance. "The reconnaissance team reported that Akatsuki headquarters is somewhere in the marshes of the Water Country; they think that's where they're holding him."

Sakura nodded her understanding in a quick jerk of her head. She donned her mask, collected her supplies, and was out the door after him, nary but a step behind.

* * *

**A/N: **Aww… Akatsuki's kidnapped Naruto, and Sasuke and Sakura are going to rescue him. How quaint. How sweet. 

…Review?

(Merry Christmas, everyone. :-))


	3. In Our Town

Err, sorry about not updating. I, umm, forgot. Guys, if I don't update at least once every two weeks, feel no qualms about giving me a little poke, okay?

* * *

**#3:** In Our Town

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Naruto/Sasuke/Sakura. Yay, Team Seven!

**Rating: **PG

**Word Count: **977

**Summary/Description: **A night watching over the town, with the heroes of the town, and justice never sleeps.

**Warning/Spoilers:** A little OOC, I think. No spoilers.

**A/N: **Future! Sorta abstractly angsty. This one is more centred on Naruto than anyone else, but still mostly Sakura POV. A little choppy; emotions never stay consistent. Sorry about that.

* * *

Sakura slid down the Third's nose, and onto the Fourth's jagged locks. From there, she hopped across to Tsunade's head, where the moonlight ran in shimmering paths. She stopped when she reached the edge, and looked over to the Sixth. The corporeal Rokudaime was perched on the ridge of his hitai-ate, staring out at the wide, unmoving expanse of Konoha. The kunoichi smiled, and made her way over to the last stone face.

The blue eyes flicked briefly to her when she sat next to him, on his right. There was no loud and exuberant greeting like she had expected. He only gave her a soft smile, before redirecting his gaze to the vista.

"Back already?" he commented, chin resting on his folded arms. Sakura beamed at him fondly before replying eventually. Seeing him like that, quiet and peaceful and relaxed, reminded her of the earlier days, of Team Seven. These days, Naruto barely had time to laugh or smile or pull one of his idiot pranks. As much as she appreciated the fact that he had finally grown up and matured – to _some_ extent, at least – she still missed the clumsy, single-minded baka of old.

"Yeah," she said. "It was easier than I expected. The Stone ninja put up very little fight." She extracted a scroll from her waist pouch, and slapped it to his chest. "Here you go. The mission report."

The Rokudaime eyed the thing moodily before slipping it into his pocket.

"Paperwork," he said dryly, eyes gone back to scanning the city. "Thanks."

She grinned, and pulled her legs up to her chest, locking her arms around them.

"No problem. Anyway, what are you doing up so late, _Hokage-sama_?" she drawled, a wry little smirk curling her lips. "Don't you have a meeting with the Kazekage early tomorrow morning? Gaara-san might think you're deliberately trying to goad him into anger if you keep nodding off to sleep." She giggled a bit, trying to coax one out of him also.

He only smiled a little distractedly, however, and his gaze never strayed.

"I'm just keeping watch a bit." A quick glance. "You know… just to make sure that… nothing happens." The periwinkle orbs caressed the Konoha skyline fondly, protectively.

The medic felt her heart swell with an almost irrepressible urge to hug her friend, her Hokage. Konohagakure no Sato had to be the luckiest shinobi village in existence. The Rokudaime _loved_ this town; it was evident in each battle he fought, each war he commandeered, each negotiation and peace treaty he drafted and signed. The Uzumaki orphan had done justice by this village like no one had ever thought he could have.

"Stop lurking in the frigging shadows, will ya, ya bastard?" Naruto growled abruptly. He twisted his neck to look behind them. "I hate it when you do that."

Sakura sensed Sasuke seconds after Naruto did. She turned just in time to see her old team-mate step out of the darkness just beyond Tsunade's stone head.

"'Night, Sasuke-kun," she greeted as the blue-haired avenger walked over.

"'Night," he replied shortly, but then stopped, and looked up at the moon. "'Morning," he amended, before dropping to sit on the left side of his best friend. He gave the pink-haired woman a momentary glance. "You're back early."

"Yeah. It was easier than the mission statement stipulated."

"Did you finish patrolling the perimeters?" Naruto asked a little impatiently before Sasuke could respond. The dark-haired man glared at him.

"Yes. And just like the last seven times you asked me to, it's clear."

"Go home, Hokage-sama." Sakura laid a hand to rest on his shoulder as she gently said this. "Your village is safe."

He gave no reply. His cerulean orbs were once again fixated on Konoha, seeping through the darkness and the crevices, searching out trouble and danger.

"Leave him be," Sasuke said shortly, though not unkindly. "If the idiot wants to be late for his biannual meeting with Gaara for the third time consecutively, let him."

"Don't call me an idiot," the Hokage mumbled absently. "Have some respect, jerk-face." It was said with a furrowed brow and a scowl, but the blond didn't put any real effort into the insult. All of his attention was focused on what lay spread out before him like a reposing woman. Sasuke and Sakura shared a look.

"Come on, Naruto." Sakura curved an arm around his broad shoulders. "There are no less than twenty-five ANBU guards stationed around the village. If, beyond all probability, we are ambushed or attacked during the night, _we will be ready_."

The Rokudaime offered no answer but a muted sigh, and leaned slightly into the kunoichi's embrace.

"Meanwhile," Sasuke picked up, speaking in a level tone, "You have an important meeting in the morning, and unless you want to be even more addled than usual, you should get your ass in bed. Give this a rest. Konoha is safe."

Sasuke's fingers were interlaced in front of his face as he said this flatly. Naruto looked over at him, grunted exasperatedly, hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him closer. Livid, the Uchiha's face turned red, and his eyes were fast following. He was about to wrest the Rokudaime off of him when Sakura stretched her arm further out and laid a calming hand on his shoulder. Sasuke frowned tetchily, but did not attempt to fight off Naruto anymore. His features settled into remote passivity, and he did not resist when Sakura nudged him so that his head lay on Naruto's shoulder.

A few moments later, Sakura felt a hand come to rest hesitantly on her waist. She smiled.

"Give what a rest?" Naruto was saying quietly. His friends he pulled closer, but his village, he never took his eyes off of. Not once. "Justice doesn't sleep in our town. The heroes never sleep."

* * *

**A/N: **Naruto deserved a less lame ending line than that, but it's what I originally wanted to end with, and I just really like it. (shrug)

Come to think of it, this is the most in-depth I've ever gotten into Naruto. Go me.

Review me and I'll love you. Concrit me and I'll have your babies.


	4. When a Flower Wilts

**#4:** When a Flower Wilts

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura, Lee/Sakura

**Rating: **PG(-13)

**Word Count: **614

**Summary/Description:** She does not love him anymore. It is hard to swallow. It is not going down.

**Warning/Spoilers:** None, except Naruto's potty mouth.

**A/N: **Team Seven is about 16-17. As usual, Sasuke-kun is in denial. (sigh) That boy spends way too much time in Egypt.

* * *

It didn't hit him like a freight train or a speeding kunai. It was a gradual realisation, that came with many weeks of observing and deciphering; ferreting out the anomalies in her behaviour, analysing them until they showed the truth for what it was.

She didn't love him any more.

The fact solidified in front of his eyes when he saw her abruptly recoil mid-punch and dart off to the edges of the training grounds, with a hurried shout of, "You two go ahead; be back in a minute!" Then, she was jumping into Lee's arms, her broad grin mirroring his own.

He made an irked sound – that _was what she was interrupting their training for?_ – before turning back to Naruto. He was even more annoyed to find that the blond wasn't even there any more, and was instead walking over to them with a friendly call of, "Hey, Fuzzy Eyebrows!"

Sasuke scowled, and relaxed himself into a normal stance. It didn't seem that they would be finished any time soon. Sakura had her arms looped around the green beast's neck, her smile creasing her face, crinkling her eyes and seeming to _radiate_ sunlight… – _she smiled at _other_ people that way?_ – and Naruto was asking him how the mission had gone.

He turned away, when he realised that there was no reason for him to be watching. He didn't mind; it was no matter to him. What Sakura did in her free time was her own business. And besides, maybe this new development would make things easier between them during missions. Her schoolgirl crush hadn't been _helping_ their teamwork; maybe now, without it, things would move smoother – _it would never be the same­ _– without any hitches or jumps.

"Ohayou, Sasuke-kun."

The fact that Lee chose to now acknowledge him irritated him, for some reason. After nodding brusquely in reply, he shouted at Naruto,

"Oi, dobe. You're not getting any stronger just standing there, and I'm not getting any younger."

"And Itachi's not getting any deader, I know, I know," the Kyuubi vessel grumbled, taking his leave of the couple with a wave. "Alright, alright, I'm coming. Jeez, you're so impa-"

The spinning flowers of the Phoenix Fire cut him off mid-sentence. Naruto fell to the side, palmed the earth and propelled himself out of range, his back against a tree. Before he could blink, invisible wires were strapping him to the thick wooden surface, pulling hard and cutting into his skin. And those seals that Sasuke was shaping… what the fuck?! He managed to burst free of his bonds just in time, as the churning flames of the Goukagyuu no Jutsu coursed forward in a fiery mass. He barely had time to recover, as a hail of throwing stars was flung at him. He deflected them with a kunai, growling.

"What the hell, bastard?!" He had to put up an arm to block the kick that was suddenly winging towards him. Sasuke followed with a volley of vicious punches, forcing Naruto back. The blond managed to retaliate with the throw of a kunai, but that only gave Sasuke time to retreat a few yards, unfold the black metal of a fuuma shuriken, and send it spinning towards his comrade. Naruto escaped having his head lopped off by a bare inch.

"What the shit is wrong with you?" he snarled, breath coming in harsh expulsions of air. "The idea when we're fucking _training_ is to try to best me, not fucking kill me!"

"Shut up and fight," Sasuke said in a monotone. The Sharingan heated up his eyes, and something that he would not name rage roiled in his blood, and pushed him forward again.

* * *

**A/N:** I know it ends sorta abruptly, but that's how I wanted it. I mean, Sasuke? Come to terms with what he's feeling? Hah! 


	5. Round Two and Counting

**#5:** Round Two and Counting

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura

**Rating: **Light R.

**Word Count: **419

**Summary/Description: **They'll get better at it with time, and practice.

**Warning/Spoilers:** Endearingly sex-befuddled Sasuke equals slightly OOC Sasuke. Implications of naughtiness. No spoilers.

**A/N:** Because we're all tired of the angst, I'm sure; especially Sahara-written angst. :3

* * *

Sakura had no knowledge of post-coital bliss, having just had her first go at the whole business (_a very __**good**__ first go_, Inner Sakura suffixed complacently, and Sakura had to resist the urge to purr like a cat). But she was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be this… sticky. Or cold.

The reason for her discomfort dawned on her when she managed to clear a few clouds out of her head with a few taps, and turned to the side. What greeted her made her form a pointed moue in consternation. He was hogging the sheets!

"Sasuke-kun!" she whispered in a gentle hiss, scooting closer, trying to get beneath the covers. "Sasuke-kun!"

"…Mmmwrawrt?"

"You're hogging the sheets!"

The avenger peeled his eyes open with considerable effort, and Sakura would have giggled at the utter befuddlement in his eyes if she hadn't remembered that she was supposed to be annoyed with him.

"I'm _cold_."

"Uhn?" Sasuke blinked, and rubbed at his eyes. Sakura sighed a little exasperatedly. She didn't know _how_ he had managed to fall asleep so soon afterwards. Then she thought about that a little, and took a few moments to feel proud of herself.

"Oh." Finally clueing in, the blue-haired man raised the coverlet so that the kunoichi could slip beneath, and cuddle up to his warm side. Irritation fast dissipating, Sakura hugged him slackly about the waist as he let the coverlet drift down and envelop them both. One of his arms draped over her shoulders to pull her closer, so that her bare chest moulded into his side, and the apex of her thighs nestled into the hard length of his leg. Sakura mewled pleasantly.

"Another round?" she asked a few minutes later, when she felt herself come to life again, just from his nearness. She moved against him suggestively, letting the tips of her breasts skate across muscles and skin, and thought that she could really get used to this.

He rolled on top of her so swiftly, she didn't even see him move. All she knew was that suddenly, she could see quietly smouldering pitch-black eyes, a half-smirk by the light that streamed through the window, and feel him pressing into the sweat-slick skin of her thigh. She thought it rather uncanny that he could go from being bewildered and lethargic to quick and sharp and _ready _in mere seconds. And then he moved his hips, in a particular way, and she quite forgot about thinking altogether.

"Let's," he agreed, and descended.

* * *

**A/N:** Fufufufufufu. :D

? I'm a bit worried that it's a little… choppy?


	6. A Kunoichi's Capabilities

**#6:** A Kunoichi's Capabilities

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sakura-centric, implied Sasuke/Sakura

**Rating: **PG

**Word Count: **251

**Summary/Description:** It is worth the wait.

**Warning/Spoilers:** None.

**A/N: **And again, I make with the angst. It's becoming bloody integral, I tell you.

* * *

She can take the pain.

It is no worse than the beating she took to protect his and Naruto's lives in the Forest of Death; cuts no more than the guilt and resentment of self that secretly sliced through her confidence when she failed to. Each scrape and bruise garnered on every B-class and C-class mission is tantamount to this hurt; each staggering step to her budding strength and betterment stings much more.

Because she can stave off the longing.

Self-control is one of the things that she has learnt anew, and perfected in every nuance of her actions. She does not allow this feeling to eat at her heart like it thinks it has the right to; she can control the yearning. The long years of her unrequited love run parallel to this, is even greater, if anything at all. The tears are suppressed; the screams are silenced in her throat. Nothing can seduce her into losing the guardedness that lurks behind her strength and Inner Sakura's fierce temper.

Because it is worth the wait.

She will not give up on him. Until he comes back, until she finds him, until the day she or Naruto can drag him home to Konoha and make him see what he's done to them; until the day that she can look at that handsome face and feel whole again. Until then, she will wait. She will take the pain, she will hold off the longing, and she will wait.

Because she loves him.

* * *

**A/N:**3

Murr?


	7. There Will Come a Time for Regret

**#7:** There Will Come a Time When I Will Regret This

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura

**Rating: **PG-13.

**Word Count: **2,156

**Summary/Description: **Sasuke despised irony.

**Warning/Spoilers:** Diverts so much from canon it's practically AU. No spoilers for the current manga chaps; all of that is completely disregarded. Cursing. Some gore. ANGST.

**A/N: **I had the idea for this a long time ago, and it was supposed to be a long dreary thing with lots and lots and lots of ANGST and OMG! fight scenes and Team Seven-ness and everything. I, however, got lazy, decided I didn't like it, and decided to convert it into a chapter of MGLS instead. I've always wanted to write a SasuSaku battle, so I hope I did well. Enjoy. (Please keep in mind that I wrote this a long time ago, before I started reading Part 2 of the Naruto manga.)

* * *

Sasuke really didn't care much for irony.

Here he was, face to face with his old team-mate, trying to enter the gates of Konoha, and she wouldn't let him. Just three short years ago, very near this same spot, he had been leaving, and she'd been trying with everything in her power to make him stay.

Huh.

"I will not allow you entrance into Konoha." She had assumed a battle stance. She had yet to meet his eyes.

Sasuke sighed discreetly. He did _not_ have time for this. Orochimaru's siege against Konoha had just taken off, and he already knew that he would not be present for most of the fray. He didn't care if the Sannin would be angry that he was not playing his part; he had business elsewhere.

Itachi…

Even from this far away, he could sense the bastard. He was somewhere, _somewhere_ in the heart of the Leaf, and Sasuke was not going to let any power-hungry perverts or overemotional erstwhile team-mates botch his chance of getting rid of his brother once and for all.

"Sakura," he sighed. A Katon no Jutsu flamed over their heads; two shinobi were having a battle in mid-air. Neither of them flinched, or so much as glanced up. "I don't have time for this. Go away before I find myself compelled to do something I'm far too busy to actually do. I'm sure Naruto and the others could use your help in getting rid of the snakes that Orochimaru summoned."

His curt address over, he stepped to the side, meaning to walk past her, and hoped she wouldn't make this any more complicated than it had to be.

She stepped in front of him, and blocked his way.

Sasuke blew out an exasperated grunt. He didn't want to do this, but she obviously wasn't giving him a choice, and Itachi wasn't going to stay in Konoha all day long.

He took a few steps back, almost resignedly, and lifted an arm. The Hidden Snakes shot out rapidly, green and long and treacherous. They wrangled towards the pink-haired girl like twisting arms, straight on a course for her neck.

Until she grabbed the reptiles all with one hand, yanked with an impressive show of strength, and pulled Sasuke off of his feet and sent him careening into the face of the left gate. The red painted wood splintered behind his back with a crack, and before he could even think to wonder what the hell had just happened, she was barrelling into his chest, pushing him straight through the wooden surface. A fist collided with his cheek; there was a crack that could only mean broken bones. She left off with a direct kick that had his stomach concaving. She landed about ten metres away, slightly winded, body tensed to act soon again.

Sasuke dragged himself to his feet, a hand clasping his stomach. He assessed the damage quickly; nothing brutal. He sent chakra to stop off the bleeding at the points where it was needed. Then, Sasuke looked at Sakura. And for the first time that afternoon, he really saw her.

She had grown. Of course she had; it had been three years, and everyone he had once known was now changed in some ways. But it seemed like very little had stayed the same about Sakura. She was taller, and lines of definition ran around the muscles in her arms and legs. Her face was a bit weathered, but more sophisticated. Her ninja skills had obviously improved. There was resolution in her eyes, and strangely, remoteness. It was rather ironic. This girl who had done everything to open herself up to him was now unreadable. It almost made him laugh.

Of course, there were things about her that had stayed the same. Her hair was still short, cut in a jagged line across her neck. It was a good choice; running around with long flowing hair was an impracticality for a kunoichi. She still had her fighting spirit, if that small bout was anything to judge by.

This might not be as easy as he'd thought.

"I will not allow you entrance into Konoha, Sasuke." He was faintly annoyed with himself for noticing the absence of the suffix that was almost a given with his name. "You will go no further than this point."

The pariah gritted his teeth.

"Don't be an idiot, Sakura. You cannot defeat me, and if you persist in getting in my way, I will kill you." He said it frankly, and it was the truth.

"Then kill me," she said in a monotone. She finally let her eyes meet his, and the emerald pools blazed with intensity. "But while I draw breath, you will not put one foot into my village." She forced the words out through clenched teeth. "Not a toe."

Sasuke exhaled on a frustrated breath, held it, and resigned himself to the fact that someone was going to die here today.

Damn Sakura for being so stubborn.

He moved suddenly, using his speed to get the better of her; he wanted this to be over as soon as possible. He moved like a whip-cord slicing through the air, earth and air parting at his behest. His mind and his muscles worked in swift, smooth coordination, pulling him through the movements with mechanical, learned grace. He didn't realise that he was performing the Shishi Rendan until he and Sakura were fifty feet above the ground, and he was pounding a leg into her stomach, forcing her earthwards. Her yell of pain was cut off abruptly when his elbow collided with her chest, knocking the wind clear out of her.

He was about to land the final crushing blow that would send her crashing to the ground, when she blocked his kick with her arm, secured a hold on his leg and sent him flying into a tree with a gut-wrenching yell of exertion. She landed a little unsteadily on her feet a few metres off, breathing in huge gulps, sweat pouring off of her in streams.

Sasuke was back on his feet instantly, filing the pain away. He turned in time to see Sakura twisting hand seals and murmuring soft words. Her hands began to glow a medical green, and without preamble, she rushed forward, fists clenched and recoiled. Sasuke slipped beneath her arm as she approached, avoided a swinging blow, and cuffed the back of her neck, hard. It made her stumble awkwardly on her feet. The jutsu on her hands fizzled out, and before she could collect her wits, the Uchiha survivor blew out the Housenka no Jutsu, and the small mythical fire flowers began spinning towards her.

The Suiton no Jutsu that she hurriedly cried out was only able to douse a few of the revolving projectiles, and the remainder flew into her. Amidst the scathing burns that tore into her flesh, she discovered a dirty old trick of Sasuke's; he had hidden shuriken in the fire. She screamed in pain as they sliced into her face, torso and legs. She collapsed backward into the ground, a thick cloud of dust billowing up around her prone body.

Sasuke's eyes flicked over her briefly. She obviously wasn't able to fight anymore; they would stop here. He could kill her later, if circumstances mandated it once again.

He turned to go, but a soft whimper stopped him. He turned, and the sight he was greeted with made his eyes widen imperceptibly. Sakura was struggling weakly to her feet, gritting her teeth with the effort. Blood and scorched skin likened her unto a patchwork of red. She was in obvious agony, but the green eyes were adamantine in resolution, unflinching and flint-hard.

It struck him quite suddenly, and very unexpectedly, like lightning in the same spot for the second time.

Sakura had grown, had changed, so much. She wasn't an addlebrained little girl anymore; in truth, she had never really been. She was a warrior, a kunoichi, and way back, past broken pictures frames and torn alliances… she had been his friend.

…Sasuke hated irony. That he should come to this revelation of her strength, that it should be reaffirmed that he _did _care for her, on the day that he was destined to kill her…

It had taken him a while to figure it out, but Sasuke had always known that Sakura wasn't like all of the other girls. …Well, at least not completely. She didn't moon over him from afar because of his lineage, tragic past and good looks. Rather, she had mooned over him from quite close quarters… and she had respected him. Knowing everything that there had been to know about him, Sakura had respected, trusted and loved him implicitly. Back then it hadn't really meant much of anything to him. She wasn't just another girl, but she wasn't particularly special, either.

But now, he was seeing all that he hadn't cared to notice before. He'd always known that she had the potential to become a great kunoichi, once she stopped concentrating so much on him, but this… this development was beyond anything he'd ever expected. Her strength… it was monstrous, and came close to even Tsunade's. And that jutsu she had attempted before… if he had read the seals and understood the incantation correctly, it was a medical jutsu, one which would have induced a rapid acting case of muscular dystrophy. If he'd been hit by that, he'd have been _fucked_.

This was a far stretch from the girl he used to know.

It occurred to Sasuke that he might actually regret this.

Sasuke _hated _having regrets.

But this… this was unavoidable. No matter the realisation that had chosen at this late hour to dawn on him, there was still Itachi. There would always be Itachi. And there was nothing, and _no one_ that could ever come close to making him forget about his brother, and his commitment to rid the world forever of the bastard's red-eyed gaze.

…She would have been one of the few people to come close, though, his psyche whispered.

Sasuke told his psyche to fuck off, and ruptured into the first level of the curse seal.

He had been, truly, hoping to save this display for his brother, though there was always level two. Truthfully, he hadn't anticipated that he would come face to face with anyone, save Itachi and Naruto, who would warrant him using the curse seal at all. But then again, he hadn't anticipated Sakura.

Seeing the obsidian waves echo across his body until they covered him from head to toe seemed to unnerve her a little. Seeing that made him the tiniest bit relieved. Maybe she would reconsider, maybe she would retreat. Maybe he wouldn't have to do this after all…

He took one look at the expression on her face, and knew that that was a false hope.

Later, he would remember it as one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. It was more or less physically easy, of course, (Sakura fought extremely well, and kept him on his toes, but she was already weakened, and was no match for the power of the seal) but it took all the willpower in the world, and then some, for Sasuke to mould the hand seals that made the Chidori crackle to life, and charge.

He got her directly in her stomach, with a hit that took his hand clear through the breadth of her body, forcing blood and organs out through the cavern that his jutsu created in her back.

She died instantly, with one of his arms piercing her, and the other cradling her. She made the tiniest sound in death, a little gasp of pain.

He did not look into her eyes as he slid them close.

He lowered her to the ground gently, straightened, and snapped the blood off of his arm with a sharp whiplash motion. The dark red gore made a haphazard polka dot pattern on the ground, and Sasuke concentrated on suffocating any feelings of remorse that threatened to rise. She'd had her choices, and he'd had his choices. If this was the way things had played out, then this was the way it was meant to be. There wasn't anything to be done about it.

Sasuke knew that he should be getting a move on, quickly, but something buried within him, some vestige of the boy that had been this girl's team-mate and friend, made him stay, watching her, for a few more minutes. She deserved that, at least.

The wind blew, almost harsh against his bruises and abrasions, and out of the forest, came a little pink petal. It fluttered along on the miniature currents until it descended, and came to rest in the pool of blood beside her cheek. It was a cherry blossom, he realised, somewhat in dismay.

Sasuke despised irony.

* * *

**A/N:** Why, yes, I rather _do_ enjoy being this evil. XD How good of you to ask.

I don't really get around much in fandom these days, and I don't read much more than what my F-list on LJ supplies me. If the whole premise for this fic was a total cliché, sorry, I wasn't aware of it.

Is in need of a good editing. I'll get to it later, I suppose.


	8. Prisons

**#8:** Prisons

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sakura-centric, one-sided Sasuke/Sakura, kinda sorta implied Naruto/Sasuke

**Rating: **PG

**Word Count: **356

**Summary/Description:** Love is a prison, a condition of the mind.

**Warning/Spoilers:** Angst. Depressing. If you didn't know me, you'd swear I hated SasuSaku. Sneaky little bits of shounen-ai that snuck their way in. No spoilers.

**A/N:** Promised myself I would never write one of these. (shrug) Ah, well, I'm used to cornering my muse and gang-raping him into submission, anyway. 8D

* * *

Love is a condition of the mind, as much as it is of the heart. You do not choose to fall in love; it is purely by chance. And as such, it is not by chance that you stay in love, it is a decision bred out of choice.

Sakura knows that he cannot love her.

It hits her every time he looks at her, sees straight through her. Sasuke has always been a painfully pragmatic person, and she knows that it is not in him to see what could become of their love, the lengths that she would go to order to glean his affection. The pathway of an avenger is not a forked road, and even if it were, Sasuke would not be taking any detours. He only sees what is right in front of him, and Sakura has never been strong enough.

There is only Naruto.

Naruto, who he can fight, and be on par with. Naruto who is fast becoming as strong as, stronger even, than him. Naruto, who he burns to best, to surpass, the opponent that he uses as the yardstick to measure his strength. Naruto, his best friend, his rival, his enemy, and everything else between and beyond.

Sakura is no fool. She knows that this love is in no way beneficial to her; she knows that Sasuke shall forever remain oblivious and uncaring; she knows that there is next to nothing that she can do that will change his mind. Sasuke's consciousness runs in concentric circles around him, and she knows that she, and maybe not even Naruto, is not within that inner circle reserved for his brother.

It is something of a prison that she has constructed for herself, with bars that further constrict with each day that passes. She is sure she could get out in time if she wanted to… but she has made her decision.

For even prisons of the mind cannot stand against love, that symptom of an incurable disease that seeps into one's pores, poisonous and deadly, alluring and sweet. The heart cannot help it; the mind will not let go of it.

* * *

**A/N:** Comments loved and appreicated. 


	9. This is The Life

Lol, I sorta forgot about this fic.

* * *

**#9:** This is The Life 

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura, Naruto/Sasuke, Naruto/Sakura

**Rating: **Hard R.

**Word Count: **2,760

**Summary/Description:** [AU Sasuke never arrives home earlier than ten o'clock, Sakura never asks why, and Naruto can never be as good as he wants.

**Warning/Spoilers:** Let's see… AU, smut, cursing, yaoi, triangle, bits of OOC, no beta, and really, smut. I think that's it. No spoilers.

**A/N:** And I ask, what the _fuck_ is wrong with me?!?! 1) I HATE triangles. There is nothing in a fic that I detest more. 2) I don't bloody _like_ NaruSaku. AT FUCKING ALL. 3) What is it with me and writing AUs when I CANNOT STAND THEM? 4) I was planning on this being 500 words, three scenes long.( glances up at word count) HA FUCKING HA. 5) I sat down at the computer with all intentions of writing a NaruSasuSaku. WHERE THE SHIT DID **THIS** COME FROM?

Prognosis: My muse hates me. This fact, however, is reconcilable enough, as I can't stand his guts either. NEH.

* * *

_This is how it happens..._

* * *

Sasuke clocks out of his office at the Konoha Police Station at precisely six o'clock every day. Given that the Uchiha Estates are a scant twenty minutes away on a day with traffic, with a window of time for picking up something to eat, or having extra paperwork, or maybe being waylaid by a colleague, or perhaps getting a drink with the guys, he should be home by seven thirty at the latest to greet his wife.

Sasuke never arrives home earlier than ten o'clock, and Sakura never asks why.

* * *

Naruto's place is a dump. Where there aren't empty ramen cups, there're clothes; where there aren't clothes, there're scattered files; where there aren't files, there're assorted weapons; where there aren't weapons, there're smelly shoes and socks; where there isn't footwear, there're crusty knives and plates and forks; and where there isn't dirty cutlery, there's possibly a Naruto sprawled somewhere in the middle of the mess. 

Hinata comes over every so often to cook him a nice meal, make sure he's doing okay, and clean up the place a bit. She hasn't been by in a while, Sasuke notes as he sidesteps a gun holster.

"You live like a pig," is the Uchiha's monotone greeting. Naruto, splayed out on the bed like he doesn't want to leave even one inch unoccupied, lifts himself up and glares at the dark-haired man with his vibrant blue eyes. Muttering a belligerent, "Fuck you", he grabs Sasuke by the face, pushes him onto the bed, mauls his mouth and proceeds to.

They don't speak again until it is nine thirty, and Sasuke is getting ready to leave.

* * *

_This is how they cope..._

* * *

Naruto probably won't ever understand what it is that makes Sakura ask him to spend the night.

It is a Friday evening, and Sasuke is out of town on a case. Naruto stops by to say hello to his old friend, since he never sees her these days. They sit on the couch, eating the cornmeal muffins that Sakura made and sipping iced tea, and are able to manage amicable chitchat for about fifteen minutes. They talk about Sakura's job at the hospital, and the surgery she performed on Hyuuga Neji's right eye last week; Naruto's place in the Special Forces, and the eccentric people he works with. The blond notices that Sakura doesn't look him in the eyes when they talk, and nor does she seem to pay much attention to the conversation. Her eyes flit from his chest to his legs to his arms to his crotch openly, and he gets a tight feeling in his stomach that he can't place.

He knows what is going to happen before it does. Before long, Sakura is discarding the dishes in the sink, and heading upstairs, throwing Naruto a look that says he's supposed to follow.

He knows this is a bad idea (ideas don't come much worse than this one, in fact) but God damn it, she was the first that he ever loved, (and somewhere deep and hidden in his heart, maybe the only) and there is no way he could even form the letters in his head to make up a negative when she is looking at him that way.

He meets her halfway up the staircase, and grabs her by the waist to turn her around her so that he can look her fully in the eyes when he kisses her. They continue to awkwardly trip up the stairs as she opens her mouth at the behest of his, letting his tongue do all the dirty things to her as she supposes it has done to her husband. She grabs him by the collar of his shirt with her right hand, while the left roams on a straight path south, and cups him tightly. Naruto doesn't think he's ever come that close to coming in his pants with such little provocation.

"I… think I know what it is," Sakura whispers, nipping at his mouth.

"What?" he asks mindlessly, biting back, just because the statement seems to want a question.

"What it is about you… that… that makes him… that makes him…"

She never finishes the sentence. Willow green eyes flicker over him for scant seconds before she seals his mouth to hers once again.

They stumble onto the landing, still tearing hungrily at each others' lips. Sakura guides them into the nearest bedroom, falling onto the four-poster and bringing Naruto with her. The blond has never had much of an attention span, and with his mouth on the girl of his dreams, his hand on her breast and hers on his length, it is amazing that he can take in the details of the room. But he does.

"S-Sakura-chan… wouldn't… wouldn't it be best… if… if… if we did this… elsewhere?" he asks breathlessly, cyan eyes flickering from Sakura to the pictures on the walls, to the clothes in the hamper, to the items on the dresser, to the shoes by the wall, and back to Sakura, all while kissing a wet trail across her sternum.

"_No_," she immediately vetoes vehemently, and pushes his head into the valley of her breasts. "Here is fine."

Naruto knows that he should put up more of a protest, knows that it can't get much more wrong than this _(you fuck her husband; now you're fucking her- _in their bed) but then a pink nipple is in his mouth, and logical thought simply abandons him.

He leaves around three in the morning. Sakura is awake, staring at the ceiling, but neither of them bothers to say goodbye.

"I don't know what it is after all," she mumbles to herself when she is alone, a desolate whisper that is lost to the darkness.

Sasuke arrives roughly seven hours later. He quietly hails his wife, who is making breakfast in the kitchen, and immediately goes upstairs and collapses onto his bed.

Ten seconds later, he gets back up. He does not ask his wife why the sheets are sticky and smell of Naruto; he simply changes them, and goes back to bed.

* * *

She wonders if Sasuke will keep on making love to her after she has given him children. 

She knows that that is what he wants. Pride encompasses a very big part of her husband, and he is not willing to let the Uchiha name die so very quickly. He cannot undo the damage that his brother has done, but he'll try his damnedest.

She knows her husband has some measure of affection for her (maybe he even loves her), but Sakura is no fool. The fact is, she is not Naruto, and will never be Naruto.

She wonders idly, mouth working around her husband's erection, if she is trying to metamorphose. Silly idea, (she has proven that she can never analyse and imitate whatever it is about Naruto that makes him that cannonball of energy and wildness that Sasuke desires) but it would be just like her subconscious to try and go to the extremes to get her husband to treasure her above all.

Sasuke moans quietly, and Sakura takes the sound and locks it away in her mind, to treasure. His hands are fisted in her cherry blossom locks, pulling at the roots, but she doesn't mind. She bets he gives Naruto this kind of hurt.

She's never been overly good at this, but she tries; relaxing her throat as best as she can so she can take in the entire length of him; suctioning her cheeks to give him the pressure that will drive him wild; using her tongue to tease the vein that throbs like a pulse.

He rushes down her throat, warm and creamy and bitter, the shout of his orgasm muffled before it can breach his lips. She lets him slide out of her mouth, slack and slick with spit. His thigh pillows her head as she lays it to rest, trying to even out her breathing.

Minutes later, she crawls up her husband's body to kiss him goodnight, but he is already asleep, or doing a good job of pretending.

* * *

"This isn't fucking afterglow," Sasuke growls, as if determined not to enjoy the feel of Naruto raking his fingers through his midnight blue locks. The blond's chest is warm, not too sweaty, and the steady thump of his heartbeat threatens to lull Sasuke to sleep. 

"Yeah. I know," is all the reply his admonishment warrants. Naruto keeps stroking, and counterpoints it with the occasional bite at Sasuke's reddened lips. The brunet cannot hold back a groan.

"I have to go home." There isn't as much venom in Sasuke's next remark.

"…Yeah. I know."

* * *

_This is how they break..._

* * *

He spies her at the supermarket next Saturday. Mischief gets the better of him, and it's like they're teenagers again, and he cannot resist creeping up behind her while she's contemplating cucumbers in the vegetable aisle. He frightens her out of her wits, making her jump about ten feet into the air. The result is a capsized stack of eggplants and a fellow patron knocked flat on her ass. Naruto cannot stop laughing, even when Sakura elbows him in the ribs while apologising profusely to the disgruntled woman.

She continues to admonish him under her breath as someone arrives to clean up the mess, but there is a definite sparkle in her eyes. She looks over his trolley, filled to the brim with cup ramen, snacks and soda, with barely controlled amusement.

"Getting only the bare necessities, I see." She shifts so she can face him in full, her smile pushing dimples into her cheeks.

"Yup." He grins wolfishly. "And what about you?" He gestures to the display of vegetables before her. "You look like you're about to go to war with those greens." Sakura punches him playfully on the arm as he chortles, and she's almost amazed that they've made it this far without any awkwardness.

"Oh, I just can't decide what to cook for dinner. Sasuke got that promotion that he's been waiting for yesterday, and I want to make something special to celebrate." She beams, her pride shining through her eyes. "I was thinking maybe some little cucumber sandwiches to start off, and then some fish, cooked in a tomato sauce."

"Oh, yeah, the promotion. He told me about that." Naruto thinks it over for a while. "I'm not sure about those cucumbers. Why not something with potatoes? He loves potatoes. Never told me outright, of course, but this one time he was over, I was having some scalloped potatoes that Hinata had left for me. The bastard just about ambushed me and ate it all."

He giggles at the memory, and does not realise what he has said until her face falls, all light and laughter draining away. A dull, faded look creeps into her eyes, colouring them a melancholy shade of green.

"Yes. If you say so, then… I suppose he does favour potatoes." She moves away from the cucumbers, and takes the short walk down the aisle to inspect the Irish potatoes. Her fingers are like steel around the handle of the trolley.

Naruto races after her, feeling six kinds of stupid. Him and his big, idiotic mouth…

"Sakura-chan, I… I… I'm so… I didn't mean-"

"It's okay, Naruto," she says, and the weak smile she gives him makes him feels like the worst kind of bastard in the world. "It's okay."

* * *

Next Monday, Sasuke arrives home early, looking incredibly angry, like a child who has been denied candy. Sakura immediately sours, and makes a note to tell Naruto that she does not need his pity.

* * *

"I hope you treat her better than you treat me," Naruto says as Sasuke zips up his pants. It is an overly warm Thursday night, and the Uchiha has stayed an hour later than he usually does. 

Sasuke turns around as he pulls his shirt over his head. Leaning over the bed, he grips Naruto's chin to bring the blond up for a searing kiss. Sasuke's mouth is that cavern that he always loses himself in, no matter how many times he has explored it, and Naruto knows that no matter how much of a Good Samaritan he tries to be, this is a drug that he cannot give up.

"Yeah," the dark-haired man says, pulling away. Naruto doesn't think either of them knows why he slams the door on his way out.

* * *

_This is how they love each other..._

* * *

She hates it when he works on a Sunday, and she had made up her mind to confront him about it as soon as he came home, but the only words she has uttered since he came through the door are a half of a greeting, a surprised yelp, and various nonsensical words of pleasure.

Her chest and stomach are awash in splotches of red, the cool air of the bedroom feeling pleasantly tingly on the wet, raised skin. Sasuke is working on another hickey near her thigh, while her fingernails make rows of red up his back.

Her mind is a haze, and she knows she should ask him what prompted this (they _never_ have sex on Sundays; it was like Christians, and working on the Sabbath). A jolt of pleasure that rattles her bones when he runs a finger from hipbone to hipbone shocks the notion out of her mind. When she next opens her mouth, it is to tell him where it aches, and what he can do to fix it.

When he drives into her, it is like someone has driven all the air out of her lungs with a solid punch to the gut. Her mouth works open and closed like a fish, while she fumbles for words and air and strength and sanity. When she finally adjusts to his girth (it's been a while), she brings her legs up and around his waist to coax him deeper inside of her. The tip of him grazes something that is delicate and sensitive, and she almost chokes on her whimper. When he starts to move, she damn near loses her mind.

Oh, God, but she loves it when it's like this, so slow that she feels like tearing the sheets to shreds in her fingers because it's driving her mad, but just fast enough to send fireworks exploding behind her eyelids. She is mumbling words that she doesn't even understand while Sasuke moves smoothly in and out of her.

"I love you," he mumbles into the salty skin of her neck, beginning to quicken the pace.

She digs her heels into his ass, and it is all she can do to articulate her next two words.

"You better."

* * *

Naruto likes to bite his shoulders. Sasuke never wonders about the habit; he is always much too preoccupied with other things. 

"Fucking bastard," he grinds out, panting harshly, sucking in air like it will never be enough. Naruto has three fingers just inside him, flexing and jerking. The other hand is down the front of Sasuke's pants, jerking him off in quick, short pulls. "You fucking tease."

Naruto gnaws at his flesh, his too-long, too-sharp canines invoking sharp bursts of pleasure where they should be drawing out pain.

"Yeah, so what?" he mumbles, driving the fingers deeper, only to pull back before they can hit that spot. They both pretend not to hear the low keen Sasuke makes in breathless irritation at the shameless teasing. "You don't deserve anything fucking less."

Sasuke has two fistfuls of fabric to anchor him to the bed, and he doesn't think he'd be able to punch Naruto in this state anyway. He settles for growling at him.

"Yeah? And what do _you_ deserve?" It's amazing that he can push out the words; they have no air behind them.

Naruto pulls at his sex sharply, dragging his calluses over the thick, red flesh in his hand. The answer is a whisper in Sasuke's ear as the dark-haired man comes. It sounds almost mournful.

"Exactly what I've got."

* * *

Sasuke's promotion has put him up quite a few notches in the Konoha Police Department. He's now the boss' boss, and the perks are quite substantial. Bigger office, more privileges, more bite to back up that infamous bark, and better hours. In fact, as the boss, he can make his own hours, once he puts in the required amount of work. 

Sasuke continues to arrive home after ten in the night, and Sakura expects nothing less.

* * *

_This is the life._


	10. Before I Sleep

**#10:** Before I Sleep

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura

**Rating: **PG-13

**Word Count: **763

**Summary/Description: **"You seem different tonight," he says.

**Warning/Spoilers: **No spoilers, I guess… All of this is supposition. And it was written before having read chpaters 345 onwards. Warning: don't eat lead, and look out for OOC.

**A/N: **This is **not** a sequel to _And Miles To Go_, as would be the logical supposition. Also: after this, if I write any more SasuSaku angst, shoot me.

**Dedication:** For Lena, my lovah, as a belated birthday present. Sweetheart, you are wonderful and amiable and special, and it is just so great to have you as a friend. (smooch) Hope you likes.

* * *

She smells like spring; like a symphony of flowers that tickles him lightly, cascades in accord with the quickening thump of his heart. She feels cold tonight, but it is no matter. He shall soon warm her up. 

Her smile is that light that was always taken for granted; now every time he sees it, it is like finding a little bit of himself, getting to know her all over again. He gathers her into his arms and lowers her to the soft, dewy grass so that he can observe her from above. Pale skin, strong limbs, mature features kissed with beauty, rose-petal hair, and that smile… it is the Sakura that he has come to know, and slowly, painstakingly, love. And yet…

"You seem different tonight," he says as he brushes his lips to her bare neck. She shivers a little, mouth making a little awning to let her gasp escape. Her eyes flutter, and she does not answer.

"Is something wrong?" He is undoing the buttons of her shirt, but finds himself distracted by her eyes, magicked into something otherworldly by the moonlight. He permits himself a moment to cup her face, caress the hollow of her cheek. Leaning down to satisfy the urge to kiss her, he is struck by the way she suddenly _looks_ at him, with an abrupt painfulness seeping onto her countenance. Why does she seem so sad?

She shakes her head slowly, as if in both a denial of his question, and the act of physically shaking something out of her head. She seems to wrest control of herself. The next time she casts her eyes at him, they are clearer. Firmer. She takes a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm not really here," she says quietly. She pauses, and gives him time to adjust to the fact. He doesn't seem to be adjusting, however; he just looks sceptical, and a little amused.

"What do you mean, you're not here?" A dark brow is arched. "I can see you with my own eyes." He brushes back her hair from her face. "I can touch you, smell you. You're _very _here, Sakura."

She shakes her head again, and looks sadder than ever. He becomes slightly alarmed, and is suddenly compelled to hurt _someone_, anyone, for inducing the emotion in her.

"You don't understand, Sasuke," she explains, tone strangely flat. "I'm dead."

He is about to snort a denial when she cuts him off, just a tone away from roughly.

"You must remember, Sasuke. Remember. _Remember_."

The sharp way in which she speaks to him puts him off guard for a moment, so he is thoroughly unprepared when an onslaught of memories attacks him.

_Returning to Konoha… Absolution slowly, grudgingly given… A reunion with his team… Mending relationships… A plan to eradicate Orochimaru and his forces in one fell swoop… A dangerous risk… A sacrifice that had to be made…_

It is like having ice shot into his veins; the shock of seeing Sakura, feeling her so near to him, touching him, breathing the same air as he does, and yet having to acknowledge the fact that she is no longer in this world. Because he _does_ remember. He remembers the battle, its events and its culmination clearly and sharply. He remembers Naruto's devastation; remembers holding her still warm body and feeling like he had failed everything he had ever fought for.

Still, within his arms right now, she feels so _real_…

"…So, this is a dream?" He surprises himself by how calm he sounds; calmer than he actually is, at any rate. Sakura is dead; there is little to be calm about.

She vetoes it gently.

"No, not quite." She hesitates for a scant second. "…Think of it simply as a prelude, before you really fall asleep." She touches his face lightly, the melancholy deeply embedded in her eyes. "There are many miles to go."

He nods, and sighs to think of what life will be like when he awakens.

"I know."

She smiles wanly, and Sasuke had never really taken the time to feel before, so the painful way the smile cuts through him is breath-stealing.

"You should try and get some sleep," she says.

"…I know." And in direct contrast of his words, he pulls her even closer, pressing their foreheads together, knowing she shall not stay for much longer. In some ways, he wants her too; in others, he does not think he could bear it if she did.

He closes his eyes briefly. He needs to work on quelling his demons before he sleeps.

* * *

**A/N:** So, I like Robert Frost, okay:p And, yes, yes, I know this series is supposed to be based on _Sylvia Plath's_ poem. Shush. 

Sorry I couldn't write anything happier, Lena-boo.

Comments really appreciated. (:


	11. A Waking Dream

**#11:** A Waking Dream

**Fandom:** Naruto

**Pairing:** Sasuke/Sakura

**Rating: **PG-13.

**Word Count: **628

**Summary/Description:** "If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up."

**Warning/Spoilers:** None.

**A/N:** Fluff. It's been too long since I wrote some nice, simple happy stuff, especially for this pairing.

* * *

"I must be dreaming." 

She says it with stars in her eyes, the green depths of which flicker from the sparkling lake to her children playing with Naruto on the green fields nearby, to her husband who has his arms wrapped around her, and back to the lake. Sasuke smiles a little, a mere quirk of his lips, and tugs on a lock of her hair.

"Why do you say that?"

The grass beneath them is soft and sweet, and the solid warmth of Sasuke's chest against her back is all the comfort she could ever ask for. Sakura gives a happy, bewildered sort of sigh.

"This is just… too perfect."

Sasuke gives a dry chuckle.

"I distinctly recall you saying at one point in time that nothing and no one is ever p--"

"I was wrong," she interrupts him. Mikoto shrieks wildly in delight from atop Naruto's shoulders as her godfather bounds around on the grass. Kisho and Hana dance gaily around them, their shouts of mirth ringing in the air. "I…" Her voice breaks, and she has to swallow twice before continuing. "I can never ask for anything more than what I have right here, right now. It's like… all my dreams have come true."

Sasuke tightens his hold on her.

"Wouldn't you say that… we deserved it?" An eyebrow raises.

"…Maybe. After… everything, maybe. But, it's just so… so…"

"Kaa-san, kaa-san, kaa-san, kaa-san, kaa-sa—"

"Take some time to breathe, Kisho," Sasuke remarks dryly as their son runs up to them and begins tugging on Sakura's shirt. Obediently, the six year old pauses to wipe some dirt off his face and take a deep breath before letting fly.

"Kaa-san, kaa-san, kaa-san, can we go out to eat ramen with Naruto-ojii-san at Ichiraku's please please please he said he'd treat us and I LOOOOOOOVE Ichiraku's and I promise I'll be good really really I will I won't put worms in Hana's bowl or NOTHING, I promise pleeeeeeeeaaase?"

"Yeah,_please_?" Hana pipes up, bouncing over.

"Yeah, pwwweease?" This from Naruto, with an exaggerated pout.

"Guwah!" Mikoto contributes. 

Having gotten sufficient backup, Kisho turns back to his mother with imploring eyes.

"Please, kaa--?" He halts, and tilts his head. "…Why are you crying, kaa-san?"

Sakura wipes away droplets of tears that she hadn't even been aware of shedding. She cups her son's cheek, and her lips tremble.

"Okaa-san is just really happy, sweetie." She sniffs, and Sasuke strokes a thumb down her arm. "Of course you can go."

"Yay!" Kisho cries, pumping a fist into the air.

"Thanks, okaa-san," Naruto says in a sing-song, grinning widely.

"Just be sure to bring them back in an hour and a half," Sakura says, smiling softly.

There is no need to say anything like 'Be sure to keep them safe', as Naruto would die a thousand times before letting his god-children come to any harm, so Sasuke simply glares at his friend and says,

"Don't teach my son any weird stuff."

Naruto sticks out his tongue in reply.

After the children have been kissed goodbye, and are walking off hand in hand with their uncle, Sasuke offers Sakura a handkerchief.

"You alright?"

She takes a moment to steady her breathing.

"Yeah," she replies. "Thanks." She leans back into his arms, feeling safe, protected, and warm. The breeze blows, the lake shimmers, the sun sets in a wash of colours, her husband kisses the top of her head and Sakura wants for _nothing_.

"I still say this is all a dream," she says on a sigh.

Sasuke shakes his head, laughing slightly.

"Would you like me to pinch you?" he asks wryly.

"No." It is said with absolutely no hesitation. "If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up."

* * *

**A/N:** Awwwwww. :3

Feedback muchly appreciated.


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